' You never would have succeeded in this
business, young man," said he, ''if my undutiful
daughter Medea had not helped you with her
enchantments. Had you acted fairly, you would
have been, at this instant, a black cinder, or a
handful of white ashes. I forbid you, on pain
of death, to make any more attempts to get the
Golden Fleece. To speak my mind plainly, you
shall never set eyes on so much as one of its
glistening locks."

Jason left the king's presence in great sorrow
and anger. He could think of nothing better to
be done than to summon together his forty-nine
brave Argonauts, march at once to the grove of
Mars,, slay the dragon, take possession of the
Golden Fleece, get on board the Argo, and
spread all sail for lolchos. The success of this
scheme depended, it is true, on the doubtful point
whether all the fifty heroes might not be snapped
up, at so many mouthfuls, by the dragon. But,
as Jason was hastening down the palace steps,
the Princess Medea called after him, and beck-
oned him to return. Her black eyes shone upon
him with such a keen intelligence, that he felt as
if there were a serpent peeping out of them; and,

[[329]]

p328 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p329w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p330

v?